Role of lymph node dissection in primary surgery for thyroid cancer

Grubbs EG, Evans DB
Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

5(6):623-30
Language: eng
Country: United States

Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030-1402, USA.

The preoperative evaluation of the clinically N0 neck and the operative management of cervical lymph nodes in patients
with papillary and medullary thyroid cancer remains controversial. The appreciation that even patients with low-risk disease
have a significant risk for recurrence has generated interest in a more comprehensive preoperative evaluation of the neck
and has renewed debate on the extent of lymphadenectomy at the time of thyroidectomy. The authors recommend using
preoperative ultrasound before thyroidectomy for all patients with thyroid cancer and before any subsequent surgeries for
recurrent disease to identify the extent of lymph node metastases and thereby facilitate complete surgical removal of all
gross disease in the neck. The optimal surgical procedure for removing cervical lymphadenopathy is compartment-oriented
neck dissection based on the findings from preoperative ultrasound.

PMID: 17623613

Humans, Lymph Node Excision, Surgery, Computer-Assisted, Thyroid Neoplasms, Thyroidectomy